Arecent glory-hunting expedition trip to the United World Martial Arts Federation (UWMAF) World Cup in Namibia has instead, turned out to be a party spoiler, as divisions within the Botswana All Budo Styles Association (BABUSA) members, emerge. Some members ended up resigning as they were not happy with BABUSA president, Shihan Thuto Thuto’s leadership style. As a result, a breakaway body is being formed.

Kyoshi Moses Kgosibodiba of Oikado Martial Arts School told Mmegi Sport that until March, BABUSA had 11 affiliates but now six remain.

“We formed the association thinking that we are equal partners little did we know that Thuto felt that he owned BABUSA. When we could not withstand the pressure as Oikado, we resigned. We were not happy about the way preparations for the UWMAF World Cup were conducted,” he said.

Kgosibodiba said sponsorship that was given to BABUSA was claimed by a certain affiliate and not by the association.

“We felt that whatever resources that were received for BABUSA should be for BABUSA and not to look for sponsorship and take them to Oikado. I am not accountable or being answerable to queries of how that happened for me to take those resources when members know that I am looking for resources for BABUSA,” he said.

Kgosibodiba said they felt that it was an administrative blunder they cannot tolerate. He said they wrote to the BABUSA national executive committee proposing an extraordinary general meeting to address the issues after the Namibia trip but they were unsuccessful.

Kgosibodiba said when BABUSA was established, an interim committee was put in place and the first elective congress was held in 2016. He said affiliates have been calling for elections but the executive committee has been evasive.

“Some of us got suspended, Oikado resigned when I was BABUSA vice president-administration. I was suspended for reasons known by the president. I have come to accept that and I am not going to dwell on it. We have left BABUSA now,” he said.

Kgosibodiba said six affiliates decided to pull out of BABUSA post the World Cup and they are in the process of forming a new entity.

Affiliates that resigned are Oikado, Asai Shotokan, Red Dragon (kung fu), Maun Traditional Martial Arts (kung fu), White Tiger International (kung fu) and Advent Monyatsiwa, the managing director at AWA gymnasium.

“Our new entity will treat members as equals. We expect the process to be completed next year. We already have a potential name for the new entity and the guiding documents are ready. As former BABUSA affiliates we are going to inform the Registrar of Societies about our departure,” he said.

Kgosibodiba said at the inception of BABUSA, they approached the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) when Solly Reikeletseng was still the board chairperson, and he told them to expect a fight from the Botswana Karate Association (BOKA).

“We have held several meetings with other martial arts affiliated with the BNSC but BOKA was the only one that was against our application. Despite our differences, we need a national martial arts umbrella body. BOKA will also be affiliated with that body through the

BNSC. We are presenting a platform where everyone can fit,” Kgosibodiba said.

He said for a long time they were trying to find an association that will recognise all martial arts styles. He said because of all the work that they did, karate was recognised by the Botswana Integrated Sports Association.

“Thuto approached me in 2014 and proposed that we should form an association that can represent the voice of everyone. We needed the approval of Oikado founder, Grandmaster Dr Patrick Makgabenyana and he welcomed the idea. He told me that he had fought for such an organisation for 46 years,” he said.

Kgosibodiba said that led to the formation of BABUSA and they were recruiting various martial artists who were outside BOKA and Botswana Judo Federation (BJF).

Kgosibodiba admitted relations between him and Thuto are strained.

“Since Thuto suspended me, he is not communicating with me. The same thing goes for BABUSA vice president, Grandmaster Edward Scott who also serves as the secretary-general. It is not that we are jealous of them, when our new entity is up and running we will invite them to the launch. It will be up to them to decide if they will come or not,” he said.

Responding to the allegations, Shihan Ranko Motlalekgosi said the allegations levelled against BABUSA were not true.

“Kgosibodiba was our vice president but he is a destructive element. He is jealous that Thuto is making strides in organising the martial arts landscape. I used to be with him at Oikado and I quit because I could not work with him,” he said.

Motlalekgosi said Thuto is a handson consultative leader as opposed to Kgosibodiba’s self-centred approach.

For his part, Thuto said there are now six affiliates that resigned from BABUSA.

“That is a lie and it comes from people who do not want to work. Nothing happened, they do not want to work and they have never been in administration. Oikado is not recognised anywhere internationally but I wanted to give them an opportunity,” he said.

Thuto said it is hard to please everyone and nothing is easy in life.